Polish Pride Scores, But Notre Dame Still No. 1

November 21, 1989|By Steve Nidetz.

This week`s TV lesson: Notre Dame is more important than Lech Walesa. But not bowling or the University of Illinois.

The Polish labor leader`s visit to Chicago pre-empted sports events on two local television stations, but WBBM-TV (Channel 2) preferred to stick with CBS` coverage of the Irish-Penn State football game.

``Our plan was to stick with Walesa no matter what,`` said a station official at WLS-TV (Channel 7) of its live coverage. The station said it didn`t receive any phone calls complaining about pre-empting the first half-hour of the Illinois-Indiana football game.

To its credit, Channel 2 did have a half-hour special on Walesa`s visit before the start of the Notre Dame game, and added more coverage during halftime.

``Our philosophy was that Walesa could be seen somewhere else,``

explained WBBM-TV General Manager Johnathan Rodgers. ``We regard Notre Dame as a home team. We have to serve the viewers. Some school of thought could fault us (for not carrying Walesa`s speech live). But I think we did the best job possible.``

And it paid off for WBBM-TV with a winning afternoon, ratings wise. The first half of the Irish contest had a 12.4 Nielsen overnight rating and a 31 share, the halftime news special dropped to a 9.3/22, but the second half of the game bounced back to a 14.3/28.

The Illini contest, pushed back to 3 p.m., finished second on the day with a 7.4/15. NBC`s taped coverage of the PBA bowling tournament, scheduled for WMAQ-TV (Channel 5) at 2 p.m., was limited to its last 10 minutes.

- Best shots: Grambling`s marching band performing in white tuxedos at halftime of the Bayou Classic. . . . Quarterback Mike Tomczak grinning after his third TD pass gave the Bears a brief lead over Tampa Bay . . . Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer cheerleading after a Browns` penalty.

- Best scoop: CBS` Irv Cross, who got to tell Dexter Manley Saturday that the Washington Redskins` defensive lineman was banned for life by the NFL for failing a third drug test. ``I called Dexter and asked him for his reaction,`` Cross said. ``He said he hadn`t heard about it yet.`` Second best: ABC`s Roger Twibell, who interviewed Manley`s agent, Bob Woolf, later in the afternoon.

- Harry Caray will be in the spotlight again Dec. 13 when the legendary Cubs broadcaster is inducted into the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame at a dinner in New York`s Marriott Marquis Hotel. Tickets are $300 apiece with dinner proceeds going to the association`s ``War on Drugs``

campaign. Those interested in attending can contact the group at 212-227-8080, or write the American Sportscasters Association, 5 Beekman St., Room 528, New York, N.Y. 10038. Other honorees that night are Bob Costas (Sportscaster of the Year), Dick Vitale (Sports Personality), Bill White (Graham McNamee Award) and the BBC`s Harry Carpenter (International Hall of Fame).

- Dr. Bill McColl, the former Bears tight end who later gained fame through his medical work with lepers in Korea, will be the subject of the

``Where Are They Now?`` segment on HBO`s ``Inside the NFL`` at 10 p.m. Thursday.

- Channel 9 Executive Producer-Director Arne Harris will share duties on Bulls and De Paul telecasts this season with newcomer Skip Ellison, who joins WGN-TV Nov. 27 from TBS Sports. Ellison, who has handled NBA and SEC football games for TBS since 1984, was hired as producer-director for Bulls and White Sox telecasts by Channel 9. Ellison earned an Emmy Award for SEC football in 1985.